She probably picked it up before we left for Ireland and was incubating it during the first week there. It's a nasty, nasty urinary tract infection and she thinks she's had it going on five weeks now. The Cipro seems to be ruining the bacterial party. We got home and she went to bed; the next day she went to the doctor. When the Bactrim didn't work I took her back (on Monday) and Cipro was prescribed instead. Wednesday the doc called and said that the culture had demonstrated Bactrim-resistant bacteria, so "start the Cipro." Pat already had done so.

Sadie is a golden retriever who provides lots of fur and lots of tongue action.

Sadie just left. She came over because Pat needed a fur fix. Pat's finally getting some better; it turns out that the bacteria she had was Bactrim-resistant and now that she's on Cipro she's slowly getting better. But Sadie helped her.

Janie, welcome to one of the most pleasant parts of summer in these eastern and southern parts! Lightning bugs are such a delight!

LH, you need to be careful about introducing rodents into the discussion here. Did I tell you that my dog caught a rat last week? Good sized one, maybe 12 ounces. She stashed it in her bed in the garage and when I came out to feed them she went inside to get it and present to me. Still very fresh, not stiff. Now that is a generous pooch! Only slobbered on a little, no visible bites (probably shaken). Just so your poopoo name-callers know.

Favorite Brother MMario, Little Hawk is the POOPOO head and if you want me to kick him in the shins for first disillusioning you and then insulting you, just let me know. I haven't practiced shin-kicking since the 6th grade, but it is probably like riding a bicycle....

The big, exciting news that momentarily warrants my neglect of the 3-D world to share with my beloved brethren, (you too, LH, even if I am mad at you for picking on my favorite sib,) and sistren, not to mention MOM, is this....

THey are rounding the turn, half past the Nine and heading for the long straughtaway, ladies and gennulmen. It's a tight pack forward on the inside rail and the leaders are straining with everything they've got!!

ANd if you've been straining, lately, why not settle back with an ice-cold Rheingold? You know you deserve it!

You will be even more shattered, Mario, when I make you aware that Corridus the Hamster once wrote some graffiti on a wall that said "MMario is a poo poo head!" He had injested some fermented sunflower seeds at the time and was acting a bit odd. Still...I think it was an incident that should not simply be dismissed or overlooked as being of no consequence. It says to me that word of your shortcomings has even reached the world of rodents. Yes, rodents! Yes, that's how bad it has become, Mario. I mean...to be criticized by such as Ron Davies...that's "ho hum"...it happens all the time. But to be criticized by rodents!

Best seek refuge by hiding here in the MOABS...safe among this tiny community of misfits, oddballs, and outcasts that gather here daily, you may yet hope to escape the shame that would befall you out in the greater world of mice and men.

SAN DIEGO – Presidential candidate Barack Obama will travel to San Diego next month to join opponent John McCain in speaking at the annual convention of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization.

Both senators are expected to address immigration and other issues pertinent to Latino voters, NCLR President Janet Murguía said during a visit to San Diego promoting the convention. Obama's plans were announced yesterday; McCain had agreed earlier to address the convention. The fact that both candidates will attend "speaks to a number of things, not only to the importance of the Latino vote, but also to the importance of this region and this state," Murguía said during a news conference.

Afterward, Murguía said she expects a historic turnout of Latino voters in November, many to counter what they see as anti-immigrant political rhetoric, but also drawn by issues such as the foreclosure crisis and health care.

On the immigration front, both senators have supported changes that immigrant advocates see as favorable. McCain once championed a temporary worker program but has since shied away from that stance.

"Senator McCain will be in an interesting position," Murguía said yesterday, regarding his appearance at the convention. "I think people will be interested to see where he still is on immigration."

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the convention July 12-15 at the San Diego Convention Center. Attendees will range from community leaders and elected officials, including speakers such as San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, to members of corporations, philanthropies and academic institutions.